Turkish Foreign Minister to make official visit to Germany on Monday

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Germany on Monday to attend the third meeting of the Turkey-Germany strategic dialogue mechanism, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said on Sunday.

As part of the third meeting, co-chaired by Fidan and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin, working groups on bilateral relations, Turkey-EU relations, security and defense as well as regional issues will meet and present their reports to the ministers.

During his talks, the sources said, Fidan is expected to express satisfaction with the constructive atmosphere in bilateral relations and the strengthening of dialogue resulting from the recent intensification of high-level contacts between Turkey and Germany.

He is expected to emphasize that the strategic dialogue mechanism constitutes a useful platform for assessing the strategic dimension of bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation and coordination between the foreign ministries of the two countries, while expressing confidence that the discussions held within this framework will contribute to further advancing relations and deepening existing areas of cooperation.

Fidan is also expected to emphasize that the Turkish community in Germany constitutes an essential element strengthening the human dimension of Turkey-Germany relations, while emphasizing the importance given to peace, security and prosperity of the Turkish diaspora.

The Turkish Foreign Minister will discuss opportunities to further strengthen the strong trade and economic partnership between the two countries and increase mutual investments.

He is also expected to highlight the common desire to elevate existing cooperation in the areas of connectivity, high technology, digitalization and green energy to a higher level, and note that the upcoming meetings of the Energy Forum and the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) would make significant contributions to achieving the target of a bilateral trade volume of $60 billion.

Fidan will focus on the strategic potential of connectivity projects linking Europe to the Middle East, South Caucasus and Central Asia via Turkey, and exchange views on possible joint projects aimed at strengthening military ties and defense industry cooperation with Germany.

In line with the agreement reached between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Fidan is expected to say that holding the fifth defense industry cooperation meeting later this year would further advance the bilateral partnership in this area.

Türkiye-EU relations

Fidan is expected to emphasize that relations between Turkey and the EU should progress on the basis of a comprehensive, institutionalized and multi-level understanding of cooperation.

He will underline the importance of launching negotiations for the modernization of the customs union and revitalizing the dialogue on visa liberalization.

The Turkish foreign minister is also expected to note that Germany’s support for the modernization of the customs union would be of crucial importance to unlock the full potential of the Turkey-Germany economic partnership.

Fidan will emphasize that a European security strategy ignoring Turkey’s strategic weight, capabilities and geopolitical position would remain incomplete, and reiterate that Turkey should be included in EU-led security and defense initiatives, projects and strategies.

Agenda for the Middle East and Ukraine

The Turkish minister is expected to emphasize the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and supporting multilateral efforts aimed at establishing regional stability.

He will reiterate Turkey’s support for efforts to permanently end the war between Iran and the United States.

The Turkish Foreign Minister will also reaffirm that direct talks between Ukraine and Russia are of great importance in achieving a just and lasting resolution to the war, emphasizing that Turkey will continue to coordinate with all relevant actors to restore dialogue between the two sides.

Fidan is expected to emphasize that Israel’s expansionist policies remain the main source of instability and insecurity in the region, while pointing out that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified ceasefire violations in Gaza and accelerated policies aimed at eliminating the vision of a two-state solution.

It will also highlight the importance of the international community assuming more effective responsibility to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.

Türkiye-Germany ties

Bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany, two NATO allies, are distinguished by their long-standing partnership and multidimensional structure encompassing political, economic, human and security aspects.

Recent high-level reciprocal visits have further strengthened the positive dynamics of bilateral relations.

Erdogan last visited Germany on November 17, 2023, while German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Turkey on February 5, 2025 and Chancellor Merz visited Turkey on October 29 and 30, 2025.

Fidan last visited Germany on November 28, 2025, while Wadephul visited Turkey on October 17, 2025 and March 12 this year.

Germany is Turkey’s second largest trading partner, with a current bilateral trade volume of $52.2 billion.

German investments in Turkey reached $13.5 billion between 2005 and 2025, while Turkish direct investments in Germany exceeded $4.7 billion during the same period.

The next meeting of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee and the seventh Energy Forum between the two countries are scheduled to be held in Ankara on June 19.

A total of 6.7 million German tourists visited Turkey in 2025, reflecting the strong social and cultural interaction between the two countries.

Strategic Dialogue Mechanism

The strategic dialogue mechanism between Turkey and Germany was established by a joint declaration signed in Berlin on May 12, 2013 by the then foreign ministers to provide an institutional and strategic framework for bilateral relations and to support Turkey’s EU accession process.

In this framework, annual meetings co-chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries and working groups of experts were envisaged.

The first meeting of the mechanism was held in Berlin on May 12, 2013, while the second and most recent meeting took place in Istanbul on June 19 and 20, 2014.

Amid an increase in high-level reciprocal visits, a common will emerged to revive the mechanism, and Erdogan and Merz announced at a joint press conference in Ankara on October 30, 2025, that the strategic dialogue mechanism would be reactivated.